{"id":42581,"date":"2016-07-25T21:12:41","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T05:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=42581"},"modified":"2017-05-27T08:49:11","modified_gmt":"2017-05-27T16:49:11","slug":"the-brain-of-a-genius-5-surprising-characteristics-of-the-worlds-greatest-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-brain-of-a-genius-5-surprising-characteristics-of-the-worlds-greatest-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"The Brain of a Genius: 5 Surprising Characteristics of The World\u2019s Greatest Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cNo great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.\u201d – Aristotle<\/p>\n

When we see people do incredible things, it\u2019s natural for us to want to know how exactly how they\u2019ve done them.<\/p>\n

We watch the news or follow world affairs and see people accomplishing incredible feats all the time, and one thought often plays in the back of our minds.<\/p>\n

Could I do\u00a0that?<\/em><\/p>\n

We hear about the achievements of household names such as Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Helen Keller and Mahatma Gandhi, and they seem otherworldly \u2013 superhuman almost.<\/p>\n

But there isn\u2019t anything divine about these people and what they\u2019ve done. They simply have, by chance or intention (usually a bit of both), been able to develop great minds that they direct towards a certain goal.<\/p>\n

And fortunately for us, there is a method to their genius, an anatomy to their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that we can try to replicate.<\/p>\n

So here are 5 characteristics of the world\u2019s greatest minds.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. A clinical obsession with their field of study<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The greatest minds don\u2019t just have a fleeting interest in whatever they\u2019re directing their attention to.<\/p>\n

In fact, successful people from Charles Dickens to Nikola Tesla, Michelangelo to Beethoven and even Michael Jackson, all have one thing in common. There were all believed to have had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)!<\/p>\n

While this doesn\u2019t mean you need to develop OCD to be successful, what it does mean is that geniuses are often walking the thin line between passion and obsession, and to become great you must become obsessed.<\/p>\n

2. An intense belief in a higher purpose<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Having a belief in a higher purpose is what drives anyone to unimaginable feats.<\/p>\n

The purpose may be religious or it may not, it doesn\u2019t matter. As long as it is something that is bigger than you and bigger than your own ego, it can fuel you to great heights.<\/p>\n

Alexander Graham Bell, for example, was driven by his determination to find a way to allow his deaf mother to hear \u2013 this caused him to become one of the most prolific inventors of his time.<\/p>\n

3. The focus of a monk<\/strong><\/h1>\n

When geniuses focus their mind on something, they don\u2019t get distracted.<\/p>\n

With a higher purpose leading their ideas and visions, they have pin-point focus and are able to create goals, follow them, and course correct without getting caught off-track.<\/p>\n

Another benefit of having such intense focus is that they don\u2019t get dissuaded by the opinions of others in the same way most people do.<\/p>\n

Steve Jobs is an example of someone who had incredible focus. Influenced heavily by Zen Buddhism, it was said that one of Jobs mantras was \u201cfocus and simplicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

He never let the criticism of others get in the way of his ideas, even when he was fired from the company he himself built, he stayed set on his vision. He was later re-hired and went on to build the culture-shifting Apple that we all know today.<\/p>\n

4. A childlike curiosity<\/strong><\/h1>\n

When we are children we are able to absorb everything like a sponge. Partly because our brains are still growing by also because we haven\u2019t yet been conditioned out of our innate curiosity.<\/p>\n

19th-century French poet Charles Baudelaire put it well when he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cGenius is nothing more nor less than childhood recaptured at will.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you are able to look at the world through the eyes of a child you will see links where everyone else may miss them. Your attitude will be more soft and playful and your ideas will be more vibrant and creative.<\/p>\n

5. They\u00a0keep a journal with them constantly<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The world\u2019s greatest minds get their thoughts out on paper. This allows them to refine them, separating the valuable from the not so valuable, and calming the tendency to become neurotic.<\/p>\n

Everyone from John D. Rockefeller to John Adams, Benjamin Franklin to Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf to Frida Kahlo, all kept a journal.<\/p>\n

Richard Wiseman best explains why this works from a psychological perspective in his book 59 Seconds: Think a Little Change A lot:<\/p>\n

\u201cThinking and writing are very different. Thinking can often be somewhat unstructured, disorganized, and even chaotic. In contrast, writing encourages the creation of a story line and structure that help people make sense of what has happened and work toward a solution. In short, talking can add to a sense of confusion, but writing provides a more systematic, solution-based approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

What characteristics do you think make up a genius mind? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n

Attention Pick the Brain Readers!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you want to start your mornings off with the same habits that were used by the world\u2019s greatest minds?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then grab a free copy of our new eBook: MORNING MASTERY: The Simple 20 Minute Routine For Long Lasting Energy, Laser-Sharp Focus, and Stress-Free Living. <\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Ben is a freelance writer, and the co-creator of Project Monkey Mind<\/a>\u2014a blog that helps you learn practical ways to live a productive, fulfilling and world-changing life in the digital age.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We watch the news or follow world affairs and see people accomplishing incredible feats all the time, and one thought often plays in the back of our minds. Could I do that? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10935,"featured_media":42882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[205,45,32,9,5,21,6,31],"tags":[5025,5107,66,4629,5308,5309],"yoast_head":"\nThe Brain of a Genius: 5 Surprising Characteristics of The World\u2019s Greatest Minds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Genius: We watch the news or follow world affairs and see people accomplishing incredible feats all the time, and one thought often plays in the back of our minds. 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